Explore The Grounds.

You open your wardrobe and feel light headed at the options laid out before you. A few months ago you were afraid you wouldn't have enough intact and clean clothing to last out the season. Now a storm of colors and fabrics are assaulting your eyes. Thinking to get some early training in, you find a pair of trousers and a tunic that you think will do the job. The pants fit snuggly but without restricting your movements. The tunic comes down past your waist in the front and back and is dyed in red and gold, the colors of House Tempest. That is, the colors of your house. It even bears the family crest over your heart, a golden shaft of lightning diagonally dividing a field of red from a field of white.

"You know what that means?"

You had blinked and stared at the rugged warrior as she pointed to her breast. Her clothing was dazzling but practical, a red tunic with her family crest and a long skirt. Some would have seen the skirt as being a nod to a gentler side but you'd seen the outlines of multiple knives strapped to her legs when she sat down. Her hair was short in a soldier's cut, less hair meant less for an enemy to grab hold of, and a fiery red only a shade or two lighter than her tunic.

Lady Bellaria Tempest had come to your home the day after your sudden assignment. She'd arrived alone and basically barged in while tossing more coin at you. "For finishing the job" she'd said. Then she'd filled in a few of the blanks for you. The queen had wanted to attend her cousin's wedding, as she'd said the night before. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but Lady Bellaria, head if her guard, had gotten a bad feeling. For weeks leading up to the trip her knights had been depleted by several small disturbances throughout the region. It was never anything serious, a small worker's uprising here, a sizeable bandit crew there, but it was taking an unusually long period of time for each of these quests to be completed. Almost like someone was making sure these tasks took as long as possible to be handled. She'd made a sort of deal with the queen that if she could gather a certain number of well-trained guards together, Lady Bellaria would agree to lead them in her guard. After gathering recent knights and a few promising trainee's she'd fallen one short.

"But why me?" you'd asked. "I'm nobody. I ain't slain no dragons nor stormed any castles."

That's when she'd pointed to her family's crest and asked you what it meant. You'd heard of her family, of course. The Tempests we're an old family within Gressia, known as noble knights and fierce warriors in many tales. No war had ever been fought in the queendom's history that didn't include a war heroine named Tempest. But as to the specifics of the crest...You shook your head and hoped you wouldn't be scolded for your ignorance. Lady Bellaria seemed to anticipate your response and didn't seem upset by it.

"The red is the blood of fallen warriors. The white, the innocent populace of Gressia. And we are the dividing line, offering our blood to keep the people safe. A few of my knights have worked with you these past few years. Your courteous, strong, and honest. You don't cheat your clients or demand extra pay for things beyond their control. And you help them with things not related to your duty, fixing wagon wheels, hauling cargo."

You blushed from the praise and waved your hands, "That's jus' to keep things movin'! Can't get paid if the wagon never gets where it's goin'!"

The powerful woman slammed your table hard enough to almost flip it.

"Shut up and take the damn compliment! I don't have time for your blushing maiden act! By this time next week, you'll be knighted and fall under my House's banner. So you'd better sort yourself out and not embarrass me!"

Your jaw hit the table and stayed there.

"Wha?! But that's...! I'm not a...!"

"No buts! If you already had land and resources you might have been allowed to forge your own House after what you did. But it's better this way. You'll have access to House Tempest resources and tutelage in all the bullshit that is high society without needing to worry about managing staff or land or peasants. Think of it like keeping your old life of the sword. Only absolutely everything will be different."

You sigh and finish getting dressed. The Tempest estate grounds are massive and you doubt you'll find the training yard in a reasonable amount of time. Might as well wander and try to get a feel for the place. Your old home was in a village not far from Tellaria, the capital of Gressia. It was a farming community that helped provide fruits to the capital and beyond. The farmland was vast but the actual village connecting the farmsteads was much smaller. You fancy that the Tempest estate could easily fit at least half the town. You've been to Tellaria a few times so the vastness of the city did not intimidate you. But passing the iron gates of the estate, seeing a wide open field and realizing it was only the front lawn, had cemented the fact that you were in a whole new world now.

The hallways are dim with the first hint of daybreak coming in through the windows. The center of the estate is an old stone keep but you reside in a more recent creation of timber and mortar. You glance out the windows as you pass them and gaze out over the city. While not so high as Castle Cloudtop, which sits atop the highest hill in the area, House Tempest still stands higher than most of the city. It stretches on for an eternity, the streets looking cold and dark so early in the morning. Back home, this time of day would have seen farmers getting up to start their day, a quiet sort of busy. Here it's impossible to say whether the city is awake or not. It's too vast and too far away and make out any true details.

Your brooding is interrupted by a sudden stop. You collide with something solid yet soft and hear a shrill "Eep!" as you tumble to the ground. You recover quickly and stand back up. Looking down you find a sea of bedsheets and a large wicker basket. Movement underneath it all suggests you've just bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" you quickly say as you tear off layer after layer of cloth. "Wasn't minding meself!"

You eventually find the maid beneath the sheets. She's a cute young thing, with freckles and a pair of braided tails. Her uniform is a standard one, a long black dress with a white apron and a few white frill's to make it clear she works for someone who can afford to make even the help look pretty. When she sees you her eyes shoot straight to your chest and she blushes furiously. At first you almost laugh. Is she flirting with you? Then you look down and spot the family crest.

"I'm so sorry, sir knight! I haven't the faintest idea whence my mind was located! Oh, please, don't tell our Lady! Allow me to...!"

As she rambles she's already mostly refolded and gather the sheets into a massive pile in her basket. It's obvious that she won't be able to see a thing once it reaches its full height. It's no wonder she walked into you! It must have been a chore just to carry so much all at once for a girl so skinny.

"Easy, lass!" you chuckle. "I was the one who knocked into you!"

You try and help her reassemble her load. She pauses at first, fear written across her face, but falls silent and continues to work. Once the sheets are back in place you can see they do indeed go far above her head. You take half, making her gasp, and start walking in the direction she'd been heading.

"You'll hafta guide me! Don't know me arse from me elbow round here."

"That's quite very much alright, sir! I am very much capable of fulfilling my obligatory duties!"

You nod, not slowing, "Aye, I'm sure. But, seeing as I went and wrecked your work, it's my duty to see ya safely to where yer headed now."

She pauses and eventually speaks in a hushed tone, "Um, just down this hall. Then a left, then the second right, and then down the stairs."

"Athena's arse, this place is huge!"

The girl gasps then giggles.

"You must be the new knight. Sir Castra, is it?"

"Aye. And yer name?"

"Beth."

"Nice to meet ye. Wish it coulda been a nicer meetin'."

"Oh, don't worry about that! You've lighten my load so I'd call it a win."

You smile and have a sudden thought.

"Say, Beth? Yah think ye could show me round? I wanna learn the ins and out of the place and haven't the faintest where to start."

"Oh, um...Well, I have my morning duties. But, mayhaps if you ask Head Maid Mara she'll allow me to accompany you?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

You follow Beth's instructions and find yourself in a large laundry. While only a few maid's are currently working here there are enough stations to contend with an army's worth of wash! Beth drops her load off with one of them and leads you back up the stairs and through several rooms until you find yourself in a lavish dining hall. There, a small army of maids dash about setting plates and glasses under the watchful eyes of a matronly looking woman at the head of the table.

"That's the head maid," whispers Beth.

Without a second thought, you march right up to her.

"Scuse' me, miss?"

She turns and frowns at you, "Yes?"

"I know Beth here's got work and such, and if ye can't spare her it's fine, but I was hopin' she could show me round, seein' as I'm new n'all?"

The head maid is statuesque and utterly silent. You hear her take in a sharp breath through her nose but even that doesn't cause a hair of motion.

"Sir Castra," she almost whispers. "My girls are, of course, at your disposal. But if I may make a suggestion?" You nod. "Your...mannerisms. They do not speak well of your House. I would recommend you seek aid from another of your station in improving your discourse."

You furrow your brow. Had you been rude in some way? Broken some code of etiquette?

"I'll take her, Mara."

You all turn towards the new voice. Your eyes roam across her figure as she saunters into the dining hall, hips swaying hypnotically. She wears an outfit similar to yours but with more gold showing and small accessories dotting the tunic like badges of honor. Her hips and bust press the clothing out distractingly and have just enough bounce in them to **** your gaze. Her eyes are a deep green that seem to shimmer like emeralds but her hair, fiery red, is the most striking feature of all.

"Lady Novella," says the head maid with a bow.

Beth quickly bows so low you fear she'll smack her forehead against the table. The poor thing is shaking like a leaf.

"I was hoping to meet our newest addition," says Novella with a smile. She reaches out a hand and gives yours a firm shake. "Sir Novella Tempest, heir of the House and winner of the royal melee two years running. Mother has told me all about you, Lady Castra."

You blush at the notion of being called a Lady like some proper woman of breeding.

"I'm fraid I never heard of you, M'lady. But, the pleasure's all mine."

Novella sighs, "Mara is absolutely right, of course. Your accent is as thick as stone. But that will change in time." She offers a withering gaze at Beth and adds, "With proper company."

Beth wilts and you frown.

"Beth's been right nice to me."

Novella chuckles, "That's what she's paid to do, dear. You must understand that you've attained a higher calling. There's nothing wrong with being common but people have higher expectations of you now. You've proven yourself to be better than most. You've earned your station like few choose to do in these days. Come. I'll show you the grounds and we'll get an early start on your etiquette training. It'll serve you even better than a sword, most days."

You glance at Beth who stares at the floor, still trembling. Novella doesn't appear hostile but she's also completely disregarding the poor girl. Meanwhile, the head maid has already wandered off to continue her duties.

Novella holds out a hand and says, "Come along, dear. The serving girl will be fine. I promise."